A prior art lever-type connector provided with an electric wire cover is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.
This comprises a connector housing 1 having a plurality of terminal fittings (not shown) connected to electric wires (not shown), an electric wire cover 2 that brings together and guides in a lateral direction the plurality of wires extending from a posterior face 1A of the connector housing 1, a lever 3 attached pivotably to the connector housing 1 in order to facilitate an operation whereby a corresponding connector (not shown) is fitted to the connector, and a locking member 4 formed on the connector housing 1 for retaining the lever 3 in a final fitting position. When the lever 3 is pivoted to the final fitting position, latch projections 3A of the lever 3 fit into locking holes 4A of the locking member 4, resulting in the retention of the lever 3.
In a lever-type connector, in order to reduce the operating force on the lever 3 while maintaining high operability, the change in curvature of a cam groove of the lever 3 (not shown) can be reduced. However, maintaining a specified cam stroke while reducing the change in curvature requires that the angle of rotation of the lever 3 be increased. In order to keep the angle of rotation of the lever 3 large, the locking member 4 is not located at the upper face of the connector housing 1 but on the rear face 1A thereof.
Since the electric wire cover 2 is arranged to be attachable to the rear face 1A of the connector housing 1, means have to be adopted in order to avoid interference between the locking member 4 and the electric wire cover 2. As the locking member 4 must fit with the lever 3, it cannot be housed inside the electric wire cover 2. As a result, the cover 2 has a cut-away 2A provided thereon so as to avoid interference with the locking member 4. The locking member 4 faces outwards from this cut-away 2A.
However, when the cut-away 2A is provided on the electric wire cover 2, as shown in FIG. 11, a space S forms between the edge of the cut-away 2A and the external peripheral face of the locking member 4. Consequently, there is a possibility of water entering through the space S into the cover 2.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into account, and aims to water-proof in a simple manner the space located on the rear face of the connector housing, this space being formed between the protruding member and the electric wire cover.